Dramatic drop seen in latest COVID-19 case totals for FC

The number of coronavirus infections slowed dramatically over the past week with 36 new cases seen during the seven-day reporting period ending Tuesday, Feb. 15, according to the Mississippi Department of Health.

As of Tuesday, Franklin County had witnessed a cumulative total of 1,898 COVID-19 cases stretching back to the start of the pandemic in March, 2020.

During the two previous weeks, infection totals had been in the range of 81 to 84 cases for each seven-day cycle.

No new deaths were attributed to Franklin County during the most recent reporting period and that keeps the number of fatalities locally at 35 for the second-straight week.

Across Mississippi, 781,436 cumulative cases of coronavirus were reported as of Tuesday, Feb. 15, according to the state health agency.

Of that number, 11,652 deaths were attributed statewide to the spread of the virus.

After reaching a peak in January and early February following the end-of-year holiday season, infections tied to the Omicron variant of coronavirus have been dropping in most parts of the Magnolia State.

For example, on Thursday, Feb. 10 statewide, the number of new COVID-19 cases measured were 2,212, but a month earlier — on Monday, Jan. 10 — the one-day count of infections was 9,745.

Still, while those numbers are promising, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said Mississippi is not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination where the illness is concerned.

“We are not through the COVID pandemic,” Dobbs noted.

“Although we’re seeing a decline in the number of COVID cases and we’re seeing a decline in the number of hospitalizations, we’re still recording thousands of cases every day — every week — and we’ll continue to see more illness and, unfortunately, more deaths.”

He encouraged people to take the coronavirus vaccinations or boosters as a means of slowing the spread of the illness among the state’s population.

COVID-19 shots and boosters continue to be administered between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., on Tuesdays and Thursday at Franklin County Memorial Hospital on Main Street in Meadville.

To schedule an appointment at FCMH, individuals can call 601-384-8264.

In addition, the hospital and its Family Medical Group clinics are teaming to administer vaccinations and boosters in a mobile setting from 1 to 3 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 24 at the Bude Community Center (the former Bude United Methodist Church).